Through the Looking Glass

Worst dining experience of my life
Diners beware, restaurant looks cute from the outside but service and food are horrible on the inside. Took waitress nearly 20min to take drink orders and food took over an hour to be served. Of the five people dinning all unanimously agreed that their food was horrible. To top it off bathroom was disgusting, there wasn’t even any soap to wash your hands, makes you wonder how sanitary the place even was. To recap, worst dining experience of my life. Was so excited to visit Jim Thorpe and this ruined the day for all of us

I liked the idea behind the theme and upon entering the Victorian house converted to restaurant that was the feel I got; mixed with a good helping of tchotchke-​chaos. There was live music which was nice. Apple cider was good, latte’s flavor was good but it was lukewarm at best. One of the specials was a tilapia po’ boy. It was served but the hoagie top was skewered into the side of the bottom half with toothpicks which I thought was weird but fine if it was for presentation but when I had to reassemble the sandwich it became messy. When I bit it the bread was burnt and hard. So I feel like if you had to skewer the bread to put it together shouldn’t someone have noticed the bread was like rock and too crunchy? (Besides the color and smell, which I noticed but decided to try it to make sure). To their credit they apologized and remade it. In the end it was meh. Chips and salsa from a jar. But the waitresses were nice! I wouldn’t come back but I’m glad I satisfied my curiosity.

Ate Lunch there yesterday. Food was actually good. But the service was lacking. Waited 45 min for a burger and a chicken sandwich, after waiting 15 min to order We sat outside, but the inside didn’t seem busy. Water was never refilled in the entire 1 hour we were there. Waitress, while pleasant, just gave us a half hearted «sorry» when she dropped off the food. Guess the sorry was for the wait.

I hate to put up a negative review for a business but this was the most disappointing experience I’ve had at a restaurant. Service took forever and like a previous reviewer wrote even though the server wrote down what we ordered to drink he asked a few more times what we ordered. We saw 2 tables near ours leave after putting in their orders because they were tired of waiting. We were so hungry at that point after also waiting longer than expected that we just ended up staying. Our food came out chicken was pink and undercooked and hard to cut through with a knife. The cook said its hard to cut through because it’s chicken thigh and she could swap it out with chicken breast so it’s easier to cut. We showed her it was still pink. They recooked it. Finally the place does seem a bit dirty. There was old tv on the porch next to my seat just sitting there like it was waiting to be thrown out in the trash.

Stopped by with my husband for a late breakfast. Food was ok. We ordered the eggs Benedict. Waitress never came back to ask us how food was. Other table next to us had to ask for something more to drink. We ate on outside patio and the place looked like it needed a good cleaning. We won’t be back.

There must be a 12 year old cooking at this place. To say that the food here is bad would be a compliment. I ordered a chipotle burger, medium-well…what I received was something that tastes like week-​old over cooked meatloaf, with crunchy edges. The bun looked like the house piano player had been sitting on it. Horrid service also… don’t even want to get into that, but I will say that I had one bite of my old meatloaf sandwich and the waiter comes over and says «No rush, but here’s your check» really? The best thing that happened was that another waiter came over with a Mr. Potato Head for my 2 year old, which kept him happy while we were there. I should have eaten the Mr. Potato Head, it looked tastier than my… food.

Stay away… the service is very unprofessional (at best). My husband and I placed out order with two other parties on the patio. 15 min later I reminded the waiter about the drink order and it was brought out. 10 min later a woman came out and asked us if our order was taken. She let us know that the waiter forgot to place our order, and she would get it taken care of. So, at best the service was atrocious. Worse, if we were a straight couple we probably would have gotten our food. We just decided to go. I was very hungry but there was a much better place down in Lehighton.

The restaurant is kind of a mess: service was slow, food was not good and the décor and cleanliness were questionable.
Our party of 5 seemed to really confound the waitress/​hostess, who seemed unsure of where to put 5 people in an almost completely empty restaurant on a Saturday afternoon at around 2 pm. We ended sitting in the «Mad Hatters room» which is just the front atrium with a table surrounded by wingback chairs. Somehow in an empty restaurant, they didn’t have enough menus for our party of 5.
The décor is a combination of kitschy Alice in Wonderland trinkets and just misplaced junk. There was a guitar and amp right as you walk in the front door. There was a Tazo tea dispenser hanging right by the door. The hostess stand had clean products strewn about and the Mad Hatters table had these stuffed chefs dolls sitting in the chairs, which the hostess threw onto the staircase. In the bathroom, which is cramped and not very clean there are weird nursery rhyme book pages hung up everywhere.
It took about 10 – 15 minutes from when we were seated to put in drinks and our food. We ordered chicken focaccia, crab soup, portobello sandwich, grilled cheese, and chicken salad sandwiches. When the server came back to deliver drinks, despite writing everything down, she could not remember what any of us had and had to be reminded several times who ordered what drink. 10 minutes later, she came to tell us that our food would be out shortly. For being almost completely empty except for another table, it took over 30 minutes from when we ordered for our food to arrive. The server told us, «it’s kind of crazy back here today,» when she brought us the food. She did ask one of the patrons on our party, «what did you want?» and went back to check on it. When the server came back, she says, «this took a little longer than the others coming out of the microwave.»
The restaurant boasts fresh house made breads, but on my sandwich, the honey wheat bread was baked at too low of a temperature for too making it dry and mealy. The chicken salad was little dry (overlooked chicken breast and not enough dressing) and a bit skimpy compared to the bread. Neither me or the other person that ordered it finished the bread. The salad looked good and was enjoyed by the person who ordered it. The focaccia was a half moon of a round loaf that had a pocket cut in it and filled with a salad. The filling was tasty and he pesto dipping sauce was flavorful, but again the bread was dry. The grilled cheese was gooey and the bread nicely griddles so no complaints about that. The soup, though was just nuked, which I’m sure happens all the time but I don’t need to know about it.
When we were about to pay, we saw the manager fumbling with a laptop and iPod touch trying to work on the credit card billing system. Apparently, they couldn’t charge a card, so the proposed solution for the patron was for them to come back when they got the system working or for the manager to go to the patrons place of employment and take payment then

The décor caught our eyes while looking for a restaurant to satisfy our empty stomachs. Items on the menu sounded enticing, so we were excited after placing our order. However that excitement fizzled out after 50 minutes of waiting on an empty stomach. The waitress who took our order must’ve passed us by maybe 15 — 20 times (mind you that this restaurant isn’t very big, maybe the size of a living room), each time avoiding any eye contact or even giving us some assurance that the food is on its way. We got up and left, after 50 minutes, disappointed at the lack of service and at least basic communication. What a shame.

We happened upon this place on our visit to JT. We were undecided and chose this restaurant after some discussion. It was 4:30 on a Saturday. They weren’t terribly busy and gave us a choice of where to sit, so we chose a table by the window. Even though the table was rather tiny and we felt cramped, we embraced it as charm I suppose. Our waitress came over to greet us. Then within a span of 5 minutes we were asked three times if we were ready to order yet– again nbd as we didn’t think too much of it. We ordered three very simple, seemingly basic things: the grilled cheese, the marinated chicken on cheddar biscuit, and a cheeseburger.
50 minutes later, and after another group left before getting their food because it took so long, we received our meals. The marinated chicken was good, the grilled cheese was good but would’ve been better hot, and the cheeseburger was missing a few items and was said to taste more like meatloaf than hamburger. I guess I’m just conflicted because of how long it took. We weren’t told of any issues of being short staffed, and we didn’t want to ask because we weren’t in a rush, but we did consider giving up– which I’ve never done at a restaurant before.

‘Charming’ doesn’t even quite cover it. It’s the place I look forward to coming to when I visit my parents in quaint Jim Thorpe, PA. Today espresso and their cozy fireplace that drew me in, but I’ll return again and again for their delish soups and fresh baked breads.

If you are looking for a BYOB in Jim Thorpe, try Through the Looking Glass. Food is good, service friendly in this cute little bistro type restaurant. They have outdoor tables for nice weather dining. The server was in training so she was slow and uninformed, but hopefully that’s temporary. Everything seems to be house made. Vegetables are very fresh. Be sure to get the home made biscotti. Guitar and piano player are really good. Ask about their schedules.

Really cute Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant without being too kitschy.
We went for lunch and I had the tuna sandwich; it was not too heavy on the mayo and was on excellent, excellent bread. It’s also HUGE. As in enough for two people. The white rabbit pizza was also delicious with a thick garlic crust. Try the heaven bar for desert. My bf loved it.
Our friend had the make your own burger which was the smallest most disappointing looking thing ever. Skip it!
I also hate that they have a $ 4 sharing charge for sandwiches as I find that very tacky considering it’s a lunch menu item.

Loved the spot. Very homey and friendly. I had the chicken sandwich on biscuits and it was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had.
Make sure to check out this place if you are in Jim Thorpe, PA.

I like it here and I will definitely go back. My friend and I sat on the porch, which allowed us to enjoy the beautiful weather. I ordered soup, which was cold. It took a long time for our server to come back, which is really the only bad thing I have to say about this place. The food was delicious and our server was friendly, just not that attentive.

Ordered coffee at 11 AM. It took us 20 minutes to get our coffee, which arrived with our meals. What kind of brunch restaurant doesn’t have coffee ready at all times? Strange. Anyway. I ordered a bagel with cream cheese and a side of home fries. The bagel was toasted and basic, the cream cheese came in a packet. No delicious shmears here. The home fries were pretty tasty, though and my fiancé’s french toast was very good. Once again, this is probably what I get for not ordering something with more imagination. Our waitress didn’t mention the specials to us, which we later overheard from another waitress at a nearby table. The overall vibe I get in JT is that a lot of the staff (not owners) are disgruntled.
On a positive note, this is a very busy little café with great ambiance, located in a great spot. It’s super cute and cozy with the front porch seating and the friendly guitar player. The overall theme is pleasant, and it seems to offer a lot of promise under the conditions of perhaps more staff and/​or better management.
I don’t know. Maybe I am being too picky. Maybe I expect too much. Maybe I am spoiled by all of the great restaurants in the city. I just have this idea in my head that JT is a place to escape to. It’s a tourist spot. As amazing as the little village of Jim Thorpe is, I am disappointed by the lackluster service and food in many of the restaurants. This is a city that is brimming with charm, tourism and a quaintness that you just don’t find in many places in the US. It deserves establishments as special as the town itself.

Ok, so here’s the good. Location: we love Jim Thorpe and Through the Looking Glass (TTLG) is nicely nestled up the road by the opera house on a quaint corner. The tables: great theme and use of images and quotes from early editions of the book, not the Disney version or atrocious Tim Burton mess. The french toast: oh so tasty and thick and lovely. The guitar player: superb and very friendly.
And now the bad. The rest of the food: store bought bagels and cream cheese, at a restaurant? Really? The service: yes, we ordered coffee during brunch. Silly me. And any recognition outside of bringing our food would have been nice. Everything else: cramped, kind of dirty, mediocre coffee, uninviting.
This is about par for most of the businesses in Jim Thorpe. The town is beautiful, but the attitude of the majority of business owners seems a reflection of how the town commissioners view the tourist and hospitality trade: we are doing you a favor by letting you pay to park and shop in Jim Thorpe.
A little sad.

I have been going to Jim Thorpe for years and for some reason I just never ate here. I have always wanted to try it but I didn’t until this past Saturday. It was 12 so we were the first ones there for lunch, so the service wasn’t bad. However, our waitress seemed kind of out of it. Instead of telling us any specials of the day, she asked us if we read the board before we came in. My bf and I are both huge tea fans, and kind of expected this place (an Alice in Wonderland themed café) to have a decent tea selection. I asked her about what teas they had and she took me over to show me, and they were not at all anything special. There was basically just Bigelow brand, and Celestial Seasonings. Which, are okay, but I definitely imagined loose leaf’s maybe from a smaller tea vendor. We both had the crab soup and I had the cheddar biscuit and he had a chicken salad sandwich. When he ordered his sandwich, the waitress looked at him like she had never heard of a chicken salad sandwich before, which is weird being that they only have like 5 sandwiches on their menu. Anyway, the food was good but most definitely not worth the $ 40 lunch. the soup especially was pretty lacking in anything. it was basically some corn, a few pieces of crab and a creamy broth. I liked it and it was good, but it could have used some more veggies, at least. The cheddar biscuit was really good, although I’m not sure I enjoy them using boneless skinless thighs for the chicken, it was a little bit too fatty. This place is okay but I think there are many better places in JT to get lunch.

I’ve been avoiding by 200^th review, because I wanted it to be awesome. Unfortunately, I am too drained by graduate school to write a witty and awesome review right now. However, this is an awesome place. My friend and I spontaneously went to Jim Thorpe during our Thanksgiving break to get away from the hustle and bustle of Philly. Our last stop before heading back home was this lovely café. The décor is adorable. The owner collects tons of Alice-​related trinkets. She was also very friendly in answering our questions about her collection and the menu. We ordered a vanilla latte, apple cider, peanut butter brownie, and a cobbler. All were extremely delicious! The brownie was hot with a nice balance of the salty peanut butter and the sweet chocolate. The cobbler was a perfect warmth for the cold day. Overall, great place to just get warm and cozy away from the bitter, winter cold.

You’ll find this quaint charming corner restaurant up the street from the courthouse. Loved the ability to sit outside on the wide porch and watch tourists and locals stroll by. Though I didn’t sit inside, I did a small walk though and it was very homey and comfortable, more as if you’re a very welcome guest in the home of really good friends.
I had the fully loaded cheddar cheese biscuit. OMG.
HELLO.
It’s rare to find homemade cheddar cheese biscuits anywhere in the north east so of course I had to try it and it was fantastic.
It was a marinated grilled chicken breast that was moist and plump on the most delicate tasty biscuit that had just a hint of cheddar cheese. Sweet onions and peppers complimented the chicken and a chipotle dressing brought it all together.
Service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive.
I spent most of my summers growing up in Nesquehoning so I’m very familiar with Jim Thorpe. Though it was my first visit to the Looking Glass, it certainly won’t be my last!